Big and small businesses begin to embrace 3D printing with various applications that are faster, cheaper and widely available.
Justin Gabitan, 3D printer specialist at Puzzlebox 3D, hopes to see a more wide-spread adoption as knowledge and skills in the country elevate to a level similar to neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
The applications are as wide as the imagination: from manufacturers requiring on-demand tools, jigs and fixtures, to health care and industries, from scale models to prosthetics.
Gabitan sees small 3D shops sprouting in commercial centers to have an object or product “printed” to specifics. Just like one walks in to print or photocopy documents today.
There are already a few 3D printer shops that cater to walk-in customers. There will come a time when more and more business will recognize the benefits and adopt this technology not just for rapid prototyping but also for functional devices, Gabitan said in an interview.
Designs can be drawn on tablets or laptops, or downloaded for free, or bought online for more intricate ones, said EJ Escanilla, in charge of Puzzlebox 3D’s applications development. “The idea is to make the 3D printing experience easier.”
Puzzlebox 3D sells imported variants such as a P33,000 printer for personal use; or mid-range models for small business with prices that can go up to P270,000 and even P600,000-plus for more sophisticated models capable of composite materials and suitable for enterprises and manufacturing.
Puzzlebox 3D provides introductory and basic crash courses up to maintenance and tech support.
The raw materials are basically types of resin and filament . Polylactic acid is one of the cheapest at P1,500 per kilogram. The most expensive is nylon infused with carbon fiber at almost P10,000/kg, a very strong material made for functional products like biomedical devices.
